Not many people can say they transformed and made a certain genre into what it is today. Well one person who can is country legend Loretta Lynn, she was the “first” to accomplish many things in country music. She brought her show to the Seneca Allegany Casino this past Sunday. Even though it was billed as Loretta Lynn, the show was more like a variety show that also featured her backup band “The Coalminers,” her daughters Peggy & Patsy Lynn and her granddaughter Emmy Rose.
It was the Coalminers taking center stage first as they warmed up the crowd with a few songs. Then it was Loretta’s twin daughters Peggy and Patsy, who are singers in the own right, who did 3 numbers and their act seemed to appeal to the Salamanca crowd. What everyone was there to see was the legend herself and she took the stage after her daughters, wearing a stunning blue gown while going into “They Don’t Make ‘em Like My Daddy Anymore.” Loretta would do a few songs then tell a story. She sounded great and seemed really happy to be there. At times her band would have to steer her and keep her on course. One example of this was when she repeated a story about her keyboard player, who she found out right before the show the night before, was on vacation and she wasn’t happy about it. However, when she was on a more focused track she sang her tunes with ease and fluidity. She did take requests from the audience and if she could remember it, played it; taking on this challenge for the song “Love’s a Foundation.” She did terrific and didn’t miss a beat!
The Allegany Casino is on sovereign territory and playing one of Loretta’s biggest hits “Your Sqaw is on the Warpath” was a dicey proposition. When Loretta suggested it to the band, they were really surprised she wanted to do it. She replied, “It wasn’t dirty when I wrote it all those years ago, why would it be now?” Loretta did then say that her father was Cherokee and her mother was Irish so she was able to smooth over any ill feelings that may have been felt by any Native Americans who were in attendance.
One of the evening’s delights was the short 2-song set provided by Loretta’s 11-year-old granddaughter, Emmy Rose. She provided us with one of her originals and then a cover of The Band Perry’s hit “If I Die Young.” Emmy Rose performed with just and acoustic and no help from The Coalminers or Loretta. She is a very talented young girl who obviously has the talent to do some amazing things as she gets older. As the Coalminers proceeded to do a few Eagles covers, Loretta finished up the evening’s festivities with a gospel medley and her biggest hit, “Coalminers Daughter.”
It was a treasure to see Loretta perform (now at age 80). The movie that Sissy Spacek made famous back in 1980 called “Coalminers Daughter” will soon be revived as a Broadway play featuring the fresh face of Zooey Deschanel. Regardless of the time it seems that the life and legacy of Miss Loretta Lynn is still as relevant today as it was back then!
Set List:
Love’s Gonna Live Here Again (The Coalminers)
When I’m Gone (The Coalminers)
All I Gotta Say About That (Peggy& Patsy Lynn)
Sara (Peggy& Patsy Lynn)
Livin’ on Tulsa Time (Peggy& Patsy Lynn)
Loretta came on stage: They Don’t Make ‘em Like my Daddy Anymore
You’re Lookin’ at Country
When the Tingle Becomes a Chill
I Wanna be Free
Here I am Again
You ain’t Woman Enough to Take my Man
Blue Kentucky Girl
Fist City
She’s Got You
Lead Me On
One’s on the Way/The Pill
Love’s a Foundation
Mirror Can Lie (Emmy Rose on acoustic and vocals)
If I Die Young (Band Perry cover-Emmy Rose on acoustic and vocals)
Honky Tonk Girl
Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind)
Dear Uncle Sam
Your Sqaw is on the Warpath
God Bless America Again
There’s Hole in the World/How long (The Eagles cover-The Coalminers on vocals)
Man of Constant Sorrow (The Coalminers on vocals)
Everybody Wants to go to Heaven/Who Says God’s Dead?/Where No One Stands Alone (Gospel Medley)
Coal Miners Daughter
We would like to thank Tony Astran from the Seneca Niagara Casino for allowing BackstageAxxess to review the show.
